PAS vice-president Mahfuz Omar revealed that two committees headed by Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin ignored different aspects of the project.
KUALA LUMPUR: PAS said that it has evidence that five government committees turned a blind eye on different aspects of the National Feedlot Centre (NFC) project. PAS vice-president Mahfuz Omar said Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, who was then the Agriculture and Agro-based Industries Minister, headed two of the committees.
“Muhyiddin headed the selection committee to choose the companies which would oversee the project. He also headed the progress committee to overlook the progress of the report,” he told a press conference today.
“Muhyiddin headed the selection committee to choose the companies which would oversee the project. He also headed the progress committee to overlook the progress of the report,” he told a press conference today.
Mahfuz said he had information that there were five government committees which overlooked the different aspects of the project.
He added that during the selection committee meeting on Sept 25, 2006, the cattle-breeding project was awarded to Agro Science Sdn Bhd and another Australian company, but the latter pulled out at a later date. The two were selected out of six companies.
Agro Science is owned by Sharizat’s husband, Mohamed Salleh Ismail, who also owns National Feedlot Corporation (NFCorp), a private corporation which was engaged to assist NFC to boost beef production.
“We have to ask Muhyiddin: what was the criteria used to select the said companies? Were they qualified in this industry?” he asked.
Mahfuz said it is about time Muhyiddin broke his silence over the NFC project.
Muhyiddin must clarify
Although Muhyiddin was the agriculture minister when the project was awarded, his comments over the NFC scandal have been limited to his announcement that NFCorp’s accounts will be audited by an accounting firm.
“We have to ask Muhyiddin: what was the criteria used to select the said companies? Were they qualified in this industry?” he asked.
Mahfuz said it is about time Muhyiddin broke his silence over the NFC project.
Muhyiddin must clarify
Although Muhyiddin was the agriculture minister when the project was awarded, his comments over the NFC scandal have been limited to his announcement that NFCorp’s accounts will be audited by an accounting firm.
“The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) and the police may be investigating the issue but are they looking into the manner in which the contract was awarded?
“This is why I again reiterate my stand that a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) should be established to probe into the matter,” he said.
Muhyddin could alternatively answer to the parliamentary Public Account’s Committee (PAC), he added.
“This is why I again reiterate my stand that a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) should be established to probe into the matter,” he said.
Muhyddin could alternatively answer to the parliamentary Public Account’s Committee (PAC), he added.
Earlier, Mahfuz took PAC chairman Azmi Khalid to task, questioning the latter’s sincerity to get to the bottom of this scandal.
Referring to the minutes of the Nov 23 PAC meeting on the scandal, he said that Azmi, knowing the great public concern, should not hesitate to release the meeting’s minutes.
“The moment he realised that something was not right himself, he should have made the information public. There is no need for the opposition MPs to write him letters asking for the minutes,” he said.
The November meeting was the only meeting PAC held over the NFC controversy. In a press conference after the meeting, a clearly irate Azmi lambasted the general mismanagement of government projects.
Earlier last week, Mahfuz had asked for the minutes to be made available to all MPs.
Azmi told FMT that the minutes of the meeting could even be made public, on condition that top brass leaders from the three opposition parties write a letter and not fault Azmi for making the minutes public.
Members of the PAC must also agree that the minutes be revealed to the public.
Earlier last week, Mahfuz had asked for the minutes to be made available to all MPs.
Azmi told FMT that the minutes of the meeting could even be made public, on condition that top brass leaders from the three opposition parties write a letter and not fault Azmi for making the minutes public.
Members of the PAC must also agree that the minutes be revealed to the public.
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